Branch 251

This week in court, the main accused Anwar R. reacted to the accusations against him with a statement that his lawyers read to the court. His defense in short: there was no torture when I was in charge, later others did it, I tried to help but couldn't do more, and then I fled the country.

How did this go down in court and how did the public gallery react to his statement? Listen to Karam and Fritz discuss his lengthy and detailed statement. And get comments from survivors of Branch 251 and their lawyer.

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You can follow us on Twitter @Fritz_Streiff and @KaramShoumali.

Some additional sources on this episode and the trial here:

• @hannahel711 reporting from the court in Koblenz this week: https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/tribunals/national-tribunals/44351-raslan-trial-germany-i-did-not-order-torture-or-support-it.html
• NPR's @deborahamos with an update on the trial: https://www.npr.org/2020/05/21/859991380/syrian-war-crimes-trial-resumes-in-germany?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
• @ECCHR Berlin hearing summaries can be found here: https://ecchr.eu/en/case/trial-monitoring-first-trial-worldwide-on-torture-in-syria/…
• Weekly monitoring reports by the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC): https://syriaaccountability.org/topic/trial-monitoring/updates/…

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How did the Branch 251 trial actually come about? 

Your hosts Karam and Fritz talked to someone who played an important role in transforming the terrible stories of these crimes into legal cases: Anwar Al Bunni. He has been instrumental in building the case and kick-starting this first criminal trial against Syrian officials. 

He was also imprisoned himself simply because he was doing his job as a human rights lawyer defending political prisoners in Syria. Eight years ago, he was detained in Branch 251 and was face to face with the main accused Anwar R. who slapped him in the face. But then, he saw him again, years later. In a refugee center in Berlin. And now, once more, in a court of law.

Subscribe to keep every episode coming to you automatically every week. If you would like to support the podcast, go to our website and click 'Support This Podcast'.

You can follow us on Twitter @Fritz_Streiff and @KaramShoumali.

Some additional sources on this episode and the trial here:

• Arabic-German coverage by German public television ARD/ WDR about the first trial days in Koblenz: https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/wdrforyou/deutsch/wdrforyou-gericht-prozess-syrien-koblenz-de-100.html
• See also: https://twitter.com/fritz_streiff/status/1260506797472911360?s=20
• @ECCHR Berlin hearing summaries can be found here: https://ecchr.eu/en/case/trial-monitoring-first-trial-worldwide-on-torture-in-syria/…
• Weekly monitoring reports by the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC): https://syriaaccountability.org/topic/trial-monitoring/updates/…
• @MansourOmari survived the Syrian regime’s torture and is blogging for @AmnestyUK, Part 3 here: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/campaigns-blog/syrian-torture-trial-koblenz-germany-part-3

Logo design by laurenshebly.nl -- Photo by James Lawler Duggan/AFP/Getty Images.

This episode takes you into Branch 251. Or Al Khatib Branch, as it is known among survivors.

Your hosts Karam and Fritz talked to them. Based on their accounts, this is how a detainee's journey looks like from arrest and arrival at the Branch, to the cells and interrogation rooms -- or better: torture chambers.

A word of warning: better not listen with kids or just before going to bed. This will likely be the most gruesome episode of the entire podcast. But it is reality. It is the 21st century. In Syria. It is Branch 251.

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Subscribe to keep every episode coming to you automatically every week. If you would like to support the podcast, go to our website and click 'Support This Podcast'.

You can follow us on Twitter @Fritz_Streiff and @KaramShoumali.

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Some additional sources on this episode and the trial here:

Bernard for The New York Times, 'Inside Syria’s Secret Torture Prisons: How Bashar al-Assad Crushed Dissent', 11 May 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/world/middleeast/syria-torture-prisons.html

Violations Documentation Centre, 'Report on Khateeb Branch- State Security, The Testimony of the Detainee Yaser Abd Al-Samad Hussen Karmi', August 2013: http://www.vdc-sy.info/index.php/en/reports/khatibbranch#.XrPe9xMzZE4

Will Christou and Walid Al Nofal, 'Torture and death: Life in al-Khateeb detention center', 29 April 2020, https://syriadirect.org/news/torture-and-death-life-in-al-khateeb-detention-center/#.XqmQsc2e9co.twitter

@ECCHR Berlin hearing summaries can be found here: https://ecchr.eu/en/case/trial-monitoring-first-trial-worldwide-on-torture-in-syria/…

Weekly monitoring reports by the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC): https://syriaaccountability.org/topic/trial-monitoring/updates/…

@MansourOmari survived the Syrian regime’s torture and is blogging for @AmnestyUK, Part 2 here: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/campaigns-blog/syrian-torture-trial-koblenz-germany-part-2

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Logo design by laurenshebly.nl -- Photo by James Lawler Duggan/AFP/Getty Images.

On this first episode of Branch 251, your hosts Fritz and Karam introduce the listeners to the trial that started in Koblenz, Germany, on 23 April 2020.

They revisit the question of why this trial is taking place in Germany, and not at the International Criminal Court, for example. And they introduce the accusations against the two defendants, Anwar R and Eyad A.

Tune in, to also hear from someone who was actually imprisoned in Branch 251. And get Fritz and Karam's take on what happened in the courtroom during the first week of trial.

Do subscribe to keep every episode coming to you automatically every week. If you would like to support the podcast, follow this link or go to our website branch-251.captivate.fm and click 'Support This Podcast'.

You can follow us on Twitter @Fritz_Streiff and @KaramShoumali.

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Some additional sources on this trial here:

• @NPR's @deborahamos on the start of the trial: https://www.npr.org/2020/04/22/839010108/suspects-in-syrian-crimes-against-humanity-trial-will-face-accusers-in-german-co?t=1589105335251 -- also check out her other pieces on the topic, for example: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/25/764116727/why-are-syrian-war-crimes-being-prosecuted-in-germany
• Great podcast episode by @AsymmetricalH on the start of the trial here: https://twitter.com/AsymmetricalH/status/1256088564003213313?s=20
• Interview with @SaretaAshraph on the start of the trial here: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/worlds-first-criminal-trial-on-state-torture-in-syria-begins/12179974
• @ECCHRBerlin hearing summaries can be found here: https://ecchr.eu/en/case/trial-monitoring-first-trial-worldwide-on-torture-in-syria/…
• Weekly monitoring reports here: https://syriaaccountability.org/topic/trial-monitoring/updates/…
• @MansourOmari survived the Syrian regime’s torture and is blogging for @AmnestyUK here: https://amnesty.org.uk/blogs/campaigns-blog/syrian-torture-trial-koblenz-germany-part-1…

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Logo design by laurenshebly.nl -- Photo by James Lawler Duggan/AFP/Getty Images.

This is an introduction to Branch 251, a podcast about the world’s first criminal trial dealing with accusations of crimes against humanity against members of Bashar al Assad’s Syrian military.

Find out what this podcast is all about and tune in on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 

And subscribe to keep every episode coming to you automatically every week. 

If you would like to support the podcast, follow this link: tinyurl.com/y9ab762g or hit the 'Support This Podcast' button on the website: branch-251.captivate.fm.